From The Editors

You are the one who'll decide where to go! February 2023

Dear Reader,

No. 8

I

Printed and published by

to be in, than the latter. In this context, the words of Theodor Seuss Geise, the

Pillutla Viswanath for

famous American writer, make a lot of sense (reproduced in original): “You

Volume 19

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t is not often that some of us feel lost. Some of us feel lost about the path we must take to realize our aspirations while some of us are clueless about the

goals we should aspire for. As you would agree, the former is a better situation

have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.” He also wrote that, “You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. / Some windows are lighted but mostly they’re darked. / But mostly they’re darked. / A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! / Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? / How much can you lose? How much can you win?” It is true

Complex, Parklane,

that sometimes we may not know what we want, but then it is only a matter of

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some deep introspection that will help us not just to set goals but also to lead

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us onto the right path to achieving them.

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With so much happening around the world, it is difficult for a competitive exams aspirant to get a hang of the important stuff. It is here that this publication proves invaluable; each issue features numerous short articles on events and

Address: 1–20–272, Plot No. 8/9,

policies of significance. In the current issue, you will find short notes on four

Rasoolpura (Village & Town),

major topical issues: (a) India assuming the presidency of the G20; (b) why

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the RBI is projecting a 6.8% GDP growth rate for the Indian economy in the

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Editor: Pillutla Viswanath All rights reserved. Reproduction

current financial year; (c) how China is building nuclear and overall military arsenal to pose, arguably, the greatest threat to America’s global hegemony; and (d) what kinds of strategies is India employing to counter the adverse effects of searing heat waves in the coming years.

in any manner/form, without

We thank you for your continued support. Your brickbats and bouquets are

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welcome at [email protected].

– Bharat

C. Jain

February 2023

3

C O N T E N T S Articles

Regular Features Current Issues & Events

17

Improve your GK

25

Israel–Palestine: The Illusion of Destiny

Current Event Chronicle

40

Inspiration: Three Passions

48

(Final Part)

Check your Vocab

49

India and the World

Eco Fundas For You

5

Fun Corner: 50 Anecdotes of Some Great Scientists

12

For subscription, see page 23

Stock Market Series I: Shares & Stock Trading Who's Who

14

CMs, Governors & Lt Governors 4Ps

Company Forms 4

February 2023

ZZZ

47

Israel–Palestine: The Illusion of Destiny (Final Part) Bharat C. Jain

I

n the first part of the two-part essay on the Israel– Palestine conflict, this author had focused on the genesis, evolution, and intensification of the historic dispute. In this concluding part, this writer will focus on the various diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing peace to war-torn West Asia.

The Second Gulf War, 1990–91

T

he invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in August 1990 brought the United States directly into eyeball confrontation with the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi invasion drew widespread condemnation from the international community, especially from Iran and Saudi Arabia. However, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) chief Yasser Arafat openly supported Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, a move which cost him and the Palestinian movement diplomatic and moral support from the Islamic World; the PLO found itself isolated and weakened in the very world it believed was glued by pan-Islamism. Saddam Hussein’s defeat and his eventual retreat from Kuwait in February 1991 only added to the woes of Yasser Arafat.

The 1991 Madrid Conference

I

n the months following the end of the Second Gulf War, the U.S. and the USSR carried out hectic parleys to bring multilateral negotiations between the Israelis, Palestinians, and other parties to the dispute, to fruition. Looking to regain the support of the big powers, especially the U.S., a weakened PLO chief readily agreed to come to Madrid (the Capital of Spain).

War and, to an extent, lack of peace is the raison d’être of extremists. It is in the very nature of intractable conflicts that their solutions do not emerge out of any single peace effort. It is in the light of this idea that we should appreciate the outcome of the Madrid Conference. While it led to no immediate gain for any party, what was more important was that it laid the foundation for the success of future Israel–Jordan and Israel–Palestine peace agreements.

Oslo Accord I

F

rustrated by increasing attacks against its defence forces in southern Lebanon by the Shia militant group, Hezbollah, Israel launched ‘Operation Accountability’ to thwart the nefarious designs of the militant group. Scores of Hezbollah militants and Lebanese citizens died in the ensuing clashes. In August 1993, just weeks after the end of ‘Operation Accountability’, Israel approved limited Palestinian autonomy in a step toward ending 26 years of military control over occupied territories. Later in September of that year, after weeks of agonizing discussions brokered by the U.S., Israel and the PLO met in Oslo (Capital of Norway). The two parties came out with the historic Declaration of Principles (DoP). Through the DoP, the two parties "officially recognized each other". Also, the PLO agreed to renounce the use of violence against the State of Israel, in a way qualifying this as a ‘land for February 2023

5

India and the World

Israel–Palestine: The Illusion of Destiny (Final Part)

It is in the very nature of an intractable conflict that its resolution does not emerge out of any single peace effort. security’ deal. The historic accord also paved the way for limited Palestinian self-rule in Gaza and the West Bank. For Israel, the 1993 Oslo Accord was a sort of ‘compromise’ while the Palestinians saw it as a move toward the creation of an independent Palestine based on the pre-1967 status.

Peace with Jordan

S

oon after the signing of the Oslo Accord, Israel and Jordan also agreed to end their 46-year state of war. In doing so, Jordan cajoled the Palestinians to look after their own needs. Jordan’s peace deal with Israel is another example of the cliché that nations have permanent interests but no permanent allies. Traditionally, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has been pro-West and is today viewed as a moderate Islamic entity.

Oslo Accord II

I

Backlash from Extremists

T

he establishment of peace rebels against the very basis of the existence of extremists. War and, to an extent, lack of peace is the raison d’être of extremists. All peace deals draw the ire of extremists. Angered by what they saw as Israeli capitulation, Jewish extremists rallied against the Oslo Accords. In fact, Yigal Amir, a Jewish extremist, assassinated the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. It is not just the Jewish extremists who refused to accept the peace deals. Their Islamic counterparts – Hamas and Hezbollah – also repudiated the ‘land for security’ deals. Both Hamas and Hezbollah, to date, do not recognize the existence of the State of Israel.

An Aside: The reader should appreciate the fact that these two militant groups do not see eye to eye. Why? Hamas, an offshoot of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, is populated by Sunnis, while Hezbollah, funded,

n September 1995, in an effort to carry forward the ‘land for security’ peace deal, Israel and Palestine signed an interim agreement, called Oslo II, leading to granting of greater autonomy without, in any way, compromising the security of the State of Israel.

armed, and backed by Syria and Iran, is dominated

In effect, the agreement earmarked some areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under full Palestinian civil and security control, some under Israeli civil and security control, and some under Palestinian civil control with Israeli security.

Hezbollah resorted to rocket attacks in north Israel. To

To administer the new territories brought under its control, the PLO established an over 20,000-strong police force. One of the major tasks of the new police force was to ensure ‘safe passage’ for Palestinians travelling between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. 6

February 2023

by Shia Muslims. It also helps to know that the ruling dispensations in both Syria and Iran are Shiite. Angered by the Oslo Accords, Hamas launched a series of suicide bomb attacks in Israel while Lebanon-based pay back, Israel launched ‘Operation Grapes of Wrath’ against the militant groups. While the parties involved agreed to end the violence, they barely tried to do just that. The rising violence perpetrated by Islamic militants angered the Israelis, who voted out the propeace Shimon Peres administration. The cost of peace, on occasion, is political wilderness. Meanwhile, the peace train continued to chug along, with the Israelis and Palestinians signing the Hebron

India and the World

Israel–Palestine: The Illusion of Destiny (Final Part)

Agreement, which led to the extension of Palestinian self-rule to the West Bank city of Hebron in 1997.

Palestinian support for 9/11 attacks cost them diplomatic and financial support of the U.S.

The Wye River Memorandum

T

he U.S., Israel’s most important ally, was becoming increasingly frustrated with the rising violence between the two sides. Scores of Palestinians were being killed by Israeli forces in retaliation for suicide bombings by the Islamists. The U.S. put intense pressure on both Israel and Palestine to carry forward the peace process. The result was the Wye River Memorandum, signed in 1998, which led to further guarantees from the Palestinians for Israeli security in return for which the latter would yield more West Bank territory. In mid–1999, Israel announced plans to extend the Jerusalem municipal authority over nearby Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Palestinians decried the move, calling it a ‘de facto annexation’. Soon after this, both parties signed an agreement providing for the implementation of the Wye River Memorandum. Owing to domestic political compulsions, the Israelis

was offering something that he could not deliver and that did not satisfy their requirements for a deal: pre1967 borders and a recognized “right of return” (of Palestinian refugees spread across the world). The Camp David negotiations concluded with a Trilateral Statement, which would serve as a framework for future negotiations. But subsequent events show that the framework led to few perceptible changes on the ground.

The Second Intifada

I

n September 2000, Ariel Sharon, then leader of the opposition right-wing Likud Party, visited, much to

the chagrin of the Palestinians, the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, in East Jerusalem. The Temple Mount is also the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third

did not handover the promised territory till 2000.

holiest site. The visit by a Jewish leader angered the

Camp David, Again

Israeli targets. This massive uprising of the Palestinians

T

Muslims who exploded with menacing attacks against

he U.S. once again brokered intense Israeli-Palestinian negotiations at Camp David (a country retreat of the U.S. President in Maryland state) in 2000. About this particular summit, very little was made public by both the Israelis and the Palestinians. However, the U.S., later revealed that the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak had offered substantial concessions, including withdrawal from most of the occupied territories, possible partition of Jerusalem’s Old City, and a Palestinian State in the area of withdrawal.

against the State of Israel is dubbed as the Second

According to the U.S., it was Yasser Arafat who turned down the deal. Though the Palestinian Authority (PA) chief is often blamed for the summit’s failure, many Palestinian analysts argue that the Israeli leader

as he became the new Israeli Prime Minister after

Intifada. Israel responded with severe measures like reoccupying parts of the West Bank, targeted assassinations of radical Islamists, preventing Palestinians from entering Israel on work-related visits, and more importantly, constructing a security barrier hundreds of kilometres long, separating Palestinians from Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The Temple Mount visit paid rich dividends for Sharon defeating the incumbent Ehud Barak, who became yet another casualty of both the spiraling violence and the peace process. February 2023

7

India and the World

Israel–Palestine: The Illusion of Destiny (Final Part)

9/11 and the Change in U.S. Strategy

T

he 9/11 (11 September 2001) attacks changed many things in different parts of the world. For one, it changed the U.S. strategy in West Asia. For long the U.S., though a strong ally of Israel, had brokered the peace process by paying more or less the same degree of importance to both sides. However, the U.S. changed when television screens flashed pictures of Palestinians celebrating the 9/11 attacks. The Palestinians lost the goodwill of the world’s lone superpower while Israel deepened its relationship with the U.S. by sharing crucial intelligence on Islamic militant organizations, thus becoming a frontline state in the ‘War on Terror’. With the U.S. firmly behind it, the Israelis launched a massive attack on the West Bank to dismantle terror infrastructure. A day after a Hamas suicide bomber killed scores of Jews, Israeli forces besieged President Arafat’s PLA headquarters for five weeks, during which they razed a major portion to the ground before evacuation. To further corner the Palestinians, in June 2002, Israel began constructing a thick security barrier through the long border on the West Bank, thus separating the former from the latter. The construction of the barrier drew swift international condemnation including from the United Nations. However, Israel refused to back down.

The Quartet and the Road Map

S

oon after these events, the U.S. initiated a series of consultations with three other major international

parties – the United Nations, the European Union, and Russia. This group became known as ‘The Quartet’. The Quartet evolved a ‘road map for peace’, including

creation of an independent Palestine, George W. Bush became the first U.S. president to do so.) In return, the Quartet asked the Palestinians to commit to a thorough reform of their government that would eliminate corruption and support for terror. The Quartet proposed that Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) would assume the newly created, more powerful post of Prime Minister, thus overshadowing President Arafat. Shaken by the Israeli attack and having lost support of major international powers (especially the U.S.), the frail and dispirited Arafat made way for Abbas. However, the violence did not abate. As it had promised the Palestinians, the U.S. released an updated ‘road map’ in April 2003, immediately after the election of Abbas.

The Palestinian Power Struggle

T

he year 2003 saw an intense power struggle between various Palestinian political forces. In violation of

the ‘road map’, Yasser Arafat, now only the President, put himself in charge of organizing a new unified security force. Abbas and his Gaza Strip security chief Mohamed Dahlan began to move against Palestinian militants as required by the ‘road map’, whereupon a vindictive Arafat replaced Dahlan with his nominee and put the security and the interior ministry in the hands of his supporters. To save his post, Abbas proclaimed that he would not act against Islamist militants. However, in September of that year, Abbas was forced to resign and was succeeded by Ahmed Qureia, an Arafat supporter. Again, intra-Palestinian political turmoil broke out soon as Arafat, Qureia and various Palestinian factions battled over the reform process. Going against the ‘road map’, Qureia vowed a tough line against Israel.

Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and

As the terror attacks against Israel mounted, Israel moved

establishment of an independent Palestinian State. (It is

into the West Bank for a security clean-up intended to

important to appreciate the fact that by agreeing to the

last several days. Israel announced that the lives of all

8

February 2023

India and the World

Israel–Palestine: The Illusion of Destiny (Final Part)

Hamas leaders were forfeited, and assassinated top

2006. Ehud Olmert, Sharon’s deputy, took over the

Hamas leaders, including Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the

reins of the government. Kadima, the party founded

group’s ‘spiritual leader’.

by Sharon after he broke up with the right-wing Likud

Disengagement Plan

party, managed to form the government after it won the

B

highest number of seats in the March 2006 elections.

(PA) to administer. Israel retained control over the rest

restoring peace. In fact, upon assuming office he had

y about 2003, i.e., a decade after the 1993 Oslo Accord, Israel had handed over control of about

80 percent of the territory to the Palestinian Authority of the territory including the border crossings. In May 2004, Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his ‘Disengagement Plan’. The plan envisaged removal of all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four more in the West Bank in four stages to be completed by the end of 2005. In November 2004, Arafat died in France of a ‘still unexplained’ blood disorder. With his death, an era in the struggle for an independent Palestine came to end. Also, Arafat’s death created a power vacuum at the top in the Palestinian Authority (PA). Mahmoud Abbas, who had spent a brief spell as premier in 2003, was confirmed as Arafat’s successor. In the January 2005 elections, Abbas won a landslide victory and was elected president of the Palestinian Authority. He used

From the beginning, Olmert had been saying that he would continue his predecessor’s efforts aimed at said that “[In] the coming period, we will move to set the final borders of the State of Israel, a Jewish State with a Jewish majority. We will try to achieve this in an agreement with the Palestinians. This is our hope and prayer.” However, in the beginning of the same year, elections were held in Palestine as well. Abbas was in for a rude shock when his secular Fatah party lost the elections to the radical Hamas. Shocked and alarmed by Hamas’ emergence as a rival power centre, the U.S. and the EU suspended aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA). The election also left the Palestinian legislature divided between the secular Fatah, represented by President Abbas, and the radical Islamic group Hamas, which would control the cabinet and parliament, led by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.

his persuasive skills to bring various Islamist outfits,

Soon after becoming the new Palestinian Prime

including Hamas, to agree to an unannounced ceasefire.

Minister, Haniyeh said that “[We] do not have any

At the same time, Ariel Sharon put his ‘Disengagement Plan’ into action. The plan to withdraw from the occupied territories evoked fierce resistance from the Jewish settlers as well as Orthodox Jews. However, despite protests, the withdrawal went ahead as announced and by end September 2005, almost all Jewish settlements in occupied territories were dismantled.

Power changes Hands

A

riel Sharon, who had been Israel’s prime minister since 2001, suffered a major stroke in January

feelings of animosity towards Jews. We do not wish to throw them into the sea. All we seek is to be given our land back, not to harm anybody”. Brave words but living them up was the most difficult part, as he realized much to his dismay.

Israel invades Lebanon

I

n 2006, Hamas and Hezbollah militants abducted Israeli soldiers, inviting an Israeli invasion of

both the Gaza Strip (to take on Hamas) and Lebanon (Hezbollah’s stronghold). February 2023

9

India and the World

Israel–Palestine: The Illusion of Destiny (Final Part)

For over 40 days, Israel unleashed sophisticated

agreements.... conclude an agreement before the end of

weaponry against the two radical militant groups. While

2008.

ground assaults backed by air sorties helped destroy terror infrastructure, the Israelis could not secure the release of its captured soldiers.

“The parties also commit to immediately implement their respective obligations under the performancebased road map to a permanent two-state solution to

The short war not only exposed embarrassing chinks

the Israel-Palestinian conflict, issued by the Quartet

in the military intelligence capability of Israel Defence

on 30 April 2003 — this is called the road map — and

Forces (IDF) but also brought to the fore the country’s

agree to form an American, Palestinian and Israeli

inability to wage a successful war against guerrilla terror groups like Hezbollah. While the short war brought Hezbollah popularity, it brought Olmert only ignominy. The inconclusive war

mechanism, led by the United States, to follow up on the implementation of the road map.”

Fatah versus Hamas

jeopardy.

P

Annapolis Conference

truce between the rival Palestinian political forces.

also put Olmert’s West Bank Disengagement Plan in

I

rompted by the miserable state of finances in the PA and the collapse of the Palestinian movement,

Saudi Arabia, a dominant Sunni power, brokered a

n the penultimate year of his presidency, George

A few months of a unity government saw both rival

W. Bush marshaled a large gathering at Annapolis,

groups trying to undermine each other’s positions. As

Maryland, U.S., to broker peace in West Asia. Apart

was expected, the Fatah–Hamas deal collapsed, even as

from Israeli and Palestinian leaders, the Quartet, the G8

both the groups battled it out in the streets for control of

and leading Muslim nations like Saudi Arabia, Jordan,

territory and resources.

and Syria attended the Annapolis Conference.

After some intense fighting, Hamas militants drove

The joint statement at the end of the Annapolis

Fatah out of the Gaza Strip to assume complete

Conference read as follows: “We express our

control. However, with Fatah in complete control of

determination to bring an end to bloodshed, suffering

the larger territory of West Bank, Abbas put in place

and decades of conflict between our peoples; to usher in

a new dispensation in Ramallah, the PA headquarters,

a new era of peace, based on freedom, security, justice,

which was immediately recognized by the U.S. and the

dignity, respect and mutual recognition; to propagate a

EU, which also resumed aid after months of political

culture of peace and nonviolence; to confront terrorism and incitement, whether committed by Palestinians

wrangling over Hamas. Also, Israel released Palestinian tax revenues that had been collected but not delivered to

or Israelis. In furtherance of the goal of two states,

the Palestinian Authority after Hamas took office.

Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and

Today, Hamas controls the Gaza Strip, but it has

security, we agree to immediately launch good-faith

very little to show when it comes to development

bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace

and welfare. It is one thing to run a cluster of slums

treaty, resolving all outstanding issues, including all

through money generated by charities abroad and quite

core issues without exception, as specified in previous

another to administer a State, or a part of it, as Hamas

10

February 2023

India and the World

Israel–Palestine: The Illusion of Destiny (Final Part)

has learnt the hard way. High inflation, exacerbated by

east Jerusalem as their capital. Thus, the Palestinians

high unemployment and a dire shortage of essential

seek all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem – areas

goods and services, may just wash away the romance

captured by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War – for an

of a violent struggle for the creation of an independent Palestine.

Deal of the Century

I

independent state and the removal of around 7.5 lakh Israeli settlers from these areas. As expected, the Palestinians denounced the peace plan

n February 2020, the United States President Donald

calling it a "betrayal of the Palestinian people" even as

Trump announced a new peace plan, which he

the Israeli Jewish extremists decried the plan as a "sell-

called the ‘deal of the century’. The American plan for permanent peace between Israel and Palestine was announced by the U.S. President in the presence of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu;

out of Jewish interests".

Last Word Since 2020, political fortunes in Israel have swung

however, the Palestinians were not invited to the peace

to extremes. There have been three general elections,

conference.

with no single political party winning a majority.

The following were the highlights of the new peace deal: The deal promised a future Palestinian State consisting of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, connected by a combination of roads and tunnels. It also would give small areas of southern Israel to the Palestinians as compensation for lost West Bank land.

Political instability makes for strange bedfellows in coalition governments and that's not good news for the establishment of peace. The road to peace traverses many battles, some without but mostly within. Leaders of all parties involved – Israel, Palestine’s Fatah and Hamas, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah – should think about the people they claim

All Jewish settlers in West Bank would remain in

to be fighting for. Peace may yet come to West Asia, but

place, and Israel would retain sovereignty over all of

should it come at the cost of the lives of the very people

its settlements as well as the strategic Jordan Valley.

it is meant for? A moot question perhaps. ME&C

In short, several Israeli “enclaves” with the West Bank would be demilitarized but give Israel overall security control. In this context, it is pertinent to know that the peace plan promised to give the Palestinians limited control over around 70% of the West Bank, nearly double the area where they currently have limited self-rule. The peace deal explicitly forbids Israel from building new Israeli settlements in the West Bank in the next four years. Jerusalem “will remain Israel’s undivided capital”. However, the Palestinians see the West Bank as the heartland of a future independent Palestinian state and

The author is Executive Editor, MBA Education & Careers. February 2023

11

Eco Fundas for you

Stock Market Series I: Shares & Stock Trading What is the basic difference between a Private Company and a Public Company?

I

n a private limited company, the minimum number of people required to start the business is two (2); in other words, you require a minimum of two

people to contribute to the capital. In a public limited company, at least seven (7) people are required to start the business. As for the maximum members who can contribute to the capital of a private company, it is 50. In the case of a public limited company, it is unlimited; in other words, a public company can have an unlimited number of people contributing to the capital base. For example, Reliance Industries, a public limited company, has more than two million shareholders. The people who start the company are called promoters.

What is a 'Share'?

T

he total capital of a company is divided into a large number of units. Each unit is given an equal value;

such value is called par value (also called face value). Each such unit (with an equal value) is called a ‘share’. In short, a share is a unit of capital. Example. Let us say that you and six of your friends wish to start a public limited company with a capital of `10,00,00,000 (`10 crore). Now, you do not wish to invest a lot of your own money in the company because there is an inherent risk associated with it (like losing your entire investment if the company goes bankrupt!). 12

February 2023

So, you follow a simple principle of investment: use OPM – Other People's Money! To make it easy for people to invest in small parts, you divide the total capital of `10 crore into 1 crore units, each with an equal value of `10. In this example, `10 crore is the total capital of the company, the total number of shares is 1 crore, and `10 is the par value (also called face value) of each share of the company. The company now comes out with a prospectus, asking people to subscribe to its capital. Let us say, this writer bought 2,000 shares of your company, at `10 each, for a total investment of `20,000. So, I have now become a shareholder of your company, i.e., in other words, a coowner of your company.

What is Dividend?

T

here are different names for the returns gained on various kinds of investments. For example, when you invest money in a Fixed Deposit, the return is called ‘interest’. Similarly when you invest in shares, the return on such investment is called dividend. In other words, a dividend is that part of the profit that is distributed among shareholders. Each shareholder will receive her share of the dividend in ‘proportion’ to her shareholding (as a part of the total shares issued). In other words, dividend can be termed as distributed profit. Recall that this writer had purchased 2,000 shares. Now if the company declares a dividend of 20% on the face value of the share, then the dividend would be `2 per share. So, the total dividend this writer would receive would be `4000 (2,000 shares x `2 per share).

Eco Fundas for you

Stock Market Series I: Shares & Stock Trading

What is a Stock Exchange?

A

stock exchange is a marketplace where the shares of public limited companies are bought and sold. In India, the two main stock exchanges are the National Stock Exchange (NSE; India’s largest) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE; Asia’s oldest, established in 1875).

What comprises a Stock Market?

T

here are two major components in a stock market: primary market and secondary market.

What is a Primary Market?

T

he primary market is also called capital market. It is a market in which newly issued shares are sold and purchased via application. Hence, the primary market is also known as ‘new issues market’. You must have seen ads of companies coming out with new issue of shares: in other words, these companies are raising fresh capital and are asking members of the public to buy shares (by subscribing to the capital) at the quoted par value and thus become shareholders.

What is a Secondary Market?

I

n this kind of a market, you deal in shares which already are trading in the stock market. In other words, it is a market in which previously issued shares are traded. Trading in such shares is done through a stock exchange.

Can you Buy/Sell Shares on a Stock Exchange directly?

N

o. One needs membership of a stock exchange to be able to buy/sell shares on a stock exchange. The membership of a stock exchange comes with a very high price tag; hence it is difficult for common people like you and me to directly trade shares on a stock exchange.

So, how do you Buy/Sell Shares?

W

e can buy/sell shares by approaching a stock broker, who is a registered member of a stock

exchange. There are a large number of stock brokers (like (like Motilal Oswal and Zerodha) who can help us buy/sell shares. Recall again that this writer had bought 2,000 shares. Now if I wish to sell these shares, I need to do two things: (1) approach a stock broker to find a buyer and (2) own a demat account. The easy part is that a stock broker can help me find a buyer on the stock market and help me dispose of my shares.

What is a Demat Account?

D

emat stands for dematerialisation. In the past, when you purchased shares, you received hard/ physical copies of certificates as proof of ownership of shares (just like a fee receipt or a fixed deposit receipt). However, to avoid legal hassles like loss of share certificates (and tax transparency) and administrative problems like crumpled share certificates, demat accounts were introduced. A demat account can be opened with a bank or a stock broking house, for which the bank/stock broking house charges a fee. It works like a normal bank account or like your email account. In the most basic way, when you purchase shares, an electronic entry is entered in your demat account that mentions such a purchase. Similarly, when you sell shares, another entry is made which reflects such a sale. In other words, a hard copy of your demat account will look like the passbook of your savings account. ME&C

Quick Facts Equador in South America is named after the Equator. L Onomatopoeic words sound like the noise they describe. Examples: crunch, bang, meow, and tap.

February 2023

13

Who’s

Who

CMs, Governors & Lt Governors

Bhupesh Baghel

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

Himanta Biswa Sarma

CM, Chhattisgarh

CM, Himachal Pradesh

CM, Assam

State

14

Governor

Chief Minister

1.

Andhra Pradesh

Biswa Bhusan Harichandan

Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy

2.

Arunachal Pradesh

Brig. (Dr) B. D. Mishra (Retd.)

Pema Khandu

3.

Assam

Jagdish Mukhi

Himanta Biswa Sarma

4.

Bihar

Phagu Chauhan

Nitish Kumar

5.

Chhattisgarh

Anusuiya Uikey1

Bhupesh Baghel

6.

Goa

P. S. Sreedharan Pillai

Pramod Sawant

7.

Gujarat

Acharya Dev Vrat

Bhupendra Patel

8.

Haryana

Bandaru Dattatraya

Manohar Lal Khattar

9.

Himachal Pradesh

Rajendra V. Arlekar

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

10.

Jharkhand

Ramesh Bais

Hemant Soren

11.

Karnataka

Thaawarchand Gehlot

Basavaraj Bommai

February 2023

Who’s Who

CMs, Governors & Lt Governors

Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Conrad Sangma

Prem Singh Golay

CM, Madhya Pradesh

CM, Meghalaya

CM, Sikkim

State

Governor

Chief Minister

12.

Kerala

Arif Mohammad Khan

Pinarayi Vijayan

13.

Madhya Pradesh

Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel

Shivraj Singh Chouhan

14.

Maharashtra

Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Eknath Shinde

15.

Manipur

La Ganesan

Biren Singh

16.

Meghalaya

Brig. (Dr) B. D. Mishra (Retd.)

Conrad Sangma

17.

Mizoram

Dr Kambhampati Haribabu

Pu Zoramthanga

18.

Nagaland

Prof. Jagdish Mukhi

Neiphiu Rio

19.

Odisha

Prof. Ganeshi Lal

Naveen Patnaik

20.

Punjab

Banwarilal Purohit

Bhagwant Singh Mann

21.

Rajasthan

Kalraj Mishra

Ashok Gehlot

22.

Sikkim

Ganga Prasad

Prem Singh Golay

23.

Tamil Nadu

R. N. Ravi

M. K. Stalin

24.

Telangana

Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan

K. Chandrasekhar Rao

25.

Tripura

Satyadeo Narain Arya

Dr Manik Saha

26.

Uttar Pradesh

Anandiben Patel

Yogi Aditya Nath

27.

Uttarakhand

Lt Gen. Gurmit Singh

Pushkar Singh Dhami

28.

West Bengal

Dr C. V. Ananda Bose

Mamata Banerjee

February 2023

15

Who’s Who

CMs, Governors & Lt Governors

Lieutenant Governors (LG)/Administrators (A) & Chief Ministers of UTs UT

LG/Administrator

1.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Admiral D. K. Joshi (LG)

2.

Chandigarh

Banwarilal Purohit (A)

3.

Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu

Praful Patel (A)

4.

Delhi

Vinai Kumar Saxena

5.

Jammu & Kashmir

Manoj Sinha (LG)

6.

Ladakh

Radha Krishna Mathur (LG)

7.

Lakshadweep

Praful Patel (A)

8.

Puducherry

Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan (LG)

Chief Minister

Arvind Kejriwal

N. Rangaswamy

iii

Chiefs of Armed Forces of India Supreme Commander

President Ram Nath Kovind

Chief of the Defence Staff

General Anil Chauhan

Chief of the Air Staff

Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari

Chief of the Army Staff

General Manoj Pande

Chief of the Naval Staff

Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar

R. Hari Kumar

CJI, AG, & SG Chief Justice of India

Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud

Attorney General for India

R. Venkataramani

Solicitor General of India

Tushar Mehta

R Venkataramani ME&C

16

February 2023

Current Issues & Events India assumes G20 presidency

I

ndia assumed the presidency of the G20 grouping on 1 December 2022. The Group of 20 (G20) is a premier international forum comprising 19 of the

world’s largest advanced and developing economies and the European Union. The G20 meets every year to discuss the most pressing global issues. On this occasion, 100 monuments, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites, bearing the G20 logo were illuminated for seven days during 1–7 December 2022, including Srinagar’s Shankaracharya temple to Delhi's Red Fort to Thanjavur’s Great Living Chola Temples. Apart from this, Humayun’s Tomb and Purana Quila in Delhi to Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat, and Konark Sun Temple in Odisha to Sher Shah Suri's Tomb in Bihar, are in the list of these 100 sites. During the course of this year’s presidency, India will host 200 meetings across the nations in over 50 cities and in 32 different sectors. India will host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on 9–10 September 2023 under its Presidency. The meetings will take place in less explored parts of the country at very exotic locations of India. During the G20 presidency, India will kick off with celebrations at the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. In adherence to PM Modi's recommendation to not limit G-20 to major urban cities and to use the opportunity to display India's rich and diverse cultural landscape. For next year's Summit, India's objectives include the supply of affordable technology for sustainable environmental development, highlighting the digital transformation of the country.

About the G20. The G20 was founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss global economic and financial issues. The G20 was upgraded

to the level of Heads of State/Government in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis of 2007, and, in 2009, was designated the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”. The G20 Summit is held annually, under the leadership of a rotating Presidency. The G20 initially focused largely on broad macroeconomic issues, but it has since expanded its agenda to inter-alia include trade, climate change, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change, and anti-corruption. The G20 comprises 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States –– and the European Union. The G20 members represent around 85 percent of the global GDP, over 75 percent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. The group focusses on policy coordination between its members to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth; to promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises and to create a new international financial architecture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision is to connect all districts and blocks with G20 so that the message will reach to masses through Jan Bhagidari initiatives. “Jan Bhagidari” refers to the participation of people in governance at the local level. The government of any country can stand on its feet only when the people of the nation consider themselves to be indispensable organs of it. Hence the involvement of people in governance at all levels is of utmost importance. February 2023

17

Current Issues & Events “While being watchful of the impact of our earlier monetary policy actions, we will keep Arjuna’s eye on the evolving inflation dynamics and be ready to act as may be necessary. Our actions will be nimble and in the best interest of the economy. The aspect of growth will obviously be kept in mind.” – RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das About G20 Logo & Theme. The G20 Logo

markets, and “profound shocks and unprecedented

draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India’s national flag – saffron, white, and green, and blue. It

uncertainty in global economy”. Inflation “remains high and broad based” world over, Governor Das said,

juxtaposes planet Earth with the lotus, India’s national flower that reflects growth amid challenges. The Earth reflects India’s pro-planet approach to life, one in perfect harmony with nature. Below the G20 logo is “Bharat”, written in the Devanagari script.

adding fragmentation in trade, finance and technology

The theme of India’s G20 Presidency – “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth · One Family · One Future” – is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.

FFF

T

RBI projects 6.8% GDP growth rate in FY23

he Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) hiked the key repo rate by 35 basis points (bps) on 6 December 2022, saying the battle against inflation would continue even as it lowered the FY23 GDP forecast to 6.8 percent from 7 percent.

was adding to de-globalisation, adding that the Indian economy remained resilient, drawing strength from its macroeconomic fundamentals.

Highlights of the RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das’s Speech

T

he global economy is still marred by profound shocks and unprecedented uncertainty. Mixed

signals are emanating from the geopolitical situation and financial market volatility. In the beginning of this year [2022], just as the Covid-19 pandemic was receding, the war in Ukraine overwhelmed the world in a black swan moment and fundamentally altered the global economic outlook. Surges in food and energy prices and shortages in key staples have severely affected the poorer sections across the world. Though international food, energy and other commodity prices have eased moderately in recent times, inflation remains high and broad-based. The IMF has projected that more than one-third of the global economy will contract this year [2022] or next year [2023]. While no country is spared

The hike in the key benchmark lending rate was lower than the 50 bps increase the central bank thrice went for since June 2022 and an off-cycle 40 bps increase in May 2022.

the ill-effects of such large shocks, emerging market

Sharing the MPC decisions, the RBI Governor

Looking

Shaktikanta Das acknowledged “mixed signals” were

fragmentation in trade, finance and technology is also

emanating from geopolitical situations, financial

adding to the forces of deglobalisation. Supply chains

18

February 2023

economies (EMEs), especially the ones dependent on food, energy, and commodity imports, have been the worst affected. beyond

the

pandemic

and

the

war,

Current Issues & Events are being redrawn on considerations of geopolitical security, leading to ‘reshoring’ and ‘friend-shoring’. Food and energy security, together with climate change, have become the biggest challenges to the world. In this hostile international environment, the Indian economy remains resilient, drawing strength from its macroeconomic fundamentals. Our financial system remains robust and stable. Banks and corporates are healthier than before the crisis. Bank credit is growing in double digits for eight months now. India is widely seen as a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy world. Yet, our inflation remains elevated, as in most parts of the world. Global spillovers continue to impart high volatility and uncertainty. Based on an assessment of the macroeconomic situation and its outlook, the MPC decided to increase the policy repo rate by 35 basis points to 6.25 percent, with immediate effect. Consequently, the standing deposit facility (SDF) rate stands adjusted to 6.00 percent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 6.50 percent. The MPC also decided by a majority of 4 out of 6 members to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that inflation remains within the target going forward, while supporting growth.

What’s the MPC’s rationale behind these decisions on the policy rate and the stance?

G

rowth prospects across the world are dampening. Financial markets remain nervous and are characterised by high volatility and price swings. For the Indian economy, the outlook is supported by good progress of rabi sowing, sustained urban demand, improving rural demand, a pick-up in manufacturing, rebound in services and robust credit expansion. Consumer price inflation moderated to 6.8 percent (y-o-y) in October as expected, but it still remains above the upper tolerance band of the target. Core inflation is exhibiting stickiness. While headline inflation may

ease through the rest of the year and Q1:2023-24, it is expected to rule above the target. The medium-term inflation outlook is exposed to heightened uncertainties from geopolitical tensions, financial market volatility and the rising incidence of weather-related disruptions. On balance, the MPC was of the view that further calibrated monetary policy action is warranted to keep inflation expectations anchored, break core inflation persistence and contain second round effects. These actions will strengthen the medium-term growth prospects of the Indian economy. Accordingly, the MPC decided to increase the policy repo rate by 35 basis points to 6.25 percent and to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation while supporting growth. As regards the stance of monetary policy, the MPC took a holistic view of the policy rate and liquidity conditions relative to inflation. Adjusted for inflation, the policy rate still remains accommodative. Over the next 12 months, inflation is expected to remain higher than the 4 percent target. System liquidity remains in surplus with an average daily absorption under the February 2023

19

Current Issues & Events The biggest risks to the growth outlook continue to be the headwinds emanating from protracted geopolitical tensions, global slowdown and tightening of global financial conditions. Taking all these factors into consideration, real GDP growth for 2022-23 is projected at 6.8 percent. liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) of ₹1.6 lakh crore in November 2022. Since then, it has gone up to ₹2.6 lakh crore as on 5th December. The overall monetary and liquidity conditions remain accommodative and hence, the MPC decided to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation.

Assessment of Growth and Inflation Growth. According to the latest data released by

National Statistical Office (NSO), real gross domestic product (GDP) posted a growth of 6.3 percent year-on year (y-o-y) in Q2:2022-23, driven primarily by private consumption and investment. This is in line with our expectations. Going into Q3:2022-23, economic activity continued to gain strength in October. Urban consumption firmed up further, driven by sustained recovery in discretionary spending, especially on services such as travel, tourism and hospitality. Passenger vehicle sales and domestic air passenger traffic posted robust y-o-y growth. Rural demand is recovering as reflected in the pace of tractor and retail two-wheeler sales, with rising farm activity. Investment activity is also gaining traction. Non-food bank credit rose by ₹10.6 lakh crore during AprilNovember 2022 as compared with an increase of ₹1.9 lakh crore last year. The total flow of resources to the commercial sector expanded by ₹14.7 lakh crore during 2022-23 (up to November 2022) as compared with ₹6.8 lakh crore in the same period of 2021-22. On the other hand, the drag from net external demand further accentuated in October as merchandise exports contracted by 12.1 percent (y-o-y) after expanding during the previous 19 months. Merchandise imports expanded by 10.0 percent in October. 20

February 2023

On the supply side, the agricultural sector remains resilient. Rabi sowing got off to a strong start. The area sown so far is 6.8 percent higher than the normal sown area (as on 2 December 2022). The manufacturing PMI rose from 55.3 in October to 55.7 in November. The PMI for the services sector expanded from 55.1 in October to 56.4 in November. Incidentally, the manufacturing and services PMIs for India in November are among the highest in the world. Construction activity is picking up after the end of the south-west monsoon, as indicated by high growth of steel consumption in October. Going ahead, investment activity will get support from government capex. A pick-up in the share of fixed assets in total assets of manufacturing companies was visible in H1. According to our surveys, consumer confidence has improved further. Manufacturing and infrastructure sector firms are optimistic about the business outlook. Services sector firms also expect activity to expand. In an interconnected world, we cannot remain entirely decoupled from adverse spillovers from the global slowdown and its negative impact on our net exports and overall economic activity. The biggest risks to the outlook continue to be the headwinds emanating from protracted geopolitical tensions, global slowdown and tightening of global financial conditions. Taking all these factors into consideration, real GDP growth for 2022-23 is projected at 6.8 percent, with Q3 at 4.4 percent and Q4 at 4.2 percent. The risks are evenly balanced. Real GDP growth is projected at 7.1 percent for Q1:2023-24 and at 5.9 percent for Q2. Even after this revision in our growth projection for 2022-23, India will still be among the fastest growing major economies in the world.

Current Issues & Events “China is the one country out there that geopolitically has the power potential to be a significant challenge to the United States.” – General Mark Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Inflation. The inflation trajectory has largely evolved in line with the outlook given by us in June 2022. Going forward, food inflation is likely to moderate with the usual winter softening and the likelihood of a bountiful rabi harvest, but pressure points remain in the form of prices of cereals, milk and spices in the near-term. The main risk is that core inflation (CPI excluding food and fuel) remains sticky and elevated. Overall, the CPI price momentum remains high. Risks from adverse weather events add to uncertainty in the outlook. Global commodity prices, including crude oil, have undergone some downward correction, but uncertainty continues to surround the near-term outlook in view of the prolonging geo-political hostilities.

What do these growth and inflation scenarios convey?

G

DP growth in India remains resilient and inflation is expected to moderate; but the battle against inflation is not over. Pressure points from high and sticky core inflation and exposure of food inflation to international factors and weather-related events do remain. While being watchful of the impact of our earlier monetary policy actions, the RBI will keep Arjuna’s eye on the evolving inflation dynamics and be ready to act as may be necessary. The RBI’s actions will be nimble and in the best interest of the economy. The aspect of growth will obviously be kept in mind.

FFF

China poses biggest threat to the U.S.

A

Pentagon report warns that China now has more than 400 nuclear warheads, approximately

doubling its nuclear arsenal in just two years, while its military has increased “unsafe” and “unprofessional” military behaviour toward the United States and its allies in the region, especially Taiwan. The pace of China’s accelerating nuclear expansion may enable Beijing to field a stockpile of about 1,500 warheads by 2035, according to the Pentagon’s annual “China Military Power” report to the U.S. Congress (American parliament). The United States’ nuclear arsenal, with an estimated 3,800 warheads in active status, would still dwarf China’s. The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) launched approximately 135 ballistic missiles for testing and training in 2021, “more than the rest of the world combined, excluding ballistic missile employment in conflict zones,” according to the report. It also continued to construct three intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silo fields, which will contain at least 300 new ICBM silos. The Pentagon report was based on information about China’s military capabilities that was collected through December 2021, but it also accounted for some major events in 2022, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022. Bradley Bowman, a veteran and senior director of the Centre on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said the “quantity and quality” of Chinese missiles is “particularly concerning. If one looks at the capability and capacity of China's missile arsenal, it is breathtaking… China’s military modernization has methodically and deliberately gone after capabilities specifically designed to defeat the United States.” February 2023

21

Current Issues & Events South China Sea. China also has increased the

number of “unsafe and unprofessional” encounters with the U.S. military and its allies and partners in the region, including Australia. “We've seen more coercive and aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific region, including some of which we would highlight as being dangerous,” the report said, citing aircraft aerobatics, lasing and discharging objects as examples. Just around the time of the Pentagon’s report release, China said it had “tracked and dispelled” a U.S. warship from waters near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Beijing considers much of the resource-rich sea its territory — despite the territorial claims of other nations — and has created hundreds of hectares of artificial islands to bolster its claims. The U.S. Navy confirmed that the USS Chancellorsville guided-missile cruiser conducted a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) near the Spratly Islands but described China’s statement about the mission as “false”. “USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) conducted this FONOP in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations in waters where high seas freedoms apply,” the U.S. Navy said, adding that “the United States is defending every nation's right to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Chancellorsville did here. Nothing the PRC says otherwise will deter us… China’s claims to the Spratly Islands are “excessive” and “illegitimate.” The U.S. frequently conducts these operations in the South China Sea to challenge the territorial claims of China and others and to promote free passage through international waters that carry half the world's merchant fleet tonnage, worth trillions of dollars each year.

China executed a high number of missile launches and military demonstrations around the Taiwan Strait during and immediately after Pelosi’s trip, which the speaker said was made to “stand by” the democratic island and honor the U.S. commitment made to Taiwan under a 1979 law. Since then, China has lowered the number of aggressive actions around Taiwan but has not reduced its aggressive behaviour to the level it was prior to her visit. Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe has said that Beijing considers Taiwan to be a “red line”. “Taiwan is China’s. Taiwan and the resolution of the Taiwan issue is China’s own affair in which no outside force has the right to intervene,” Wei.

Russia and beyond. China has continued its

military cooperation with Russia. In 2021, a large-scale joint exercise with Russia’s army was conducted on Chinese soil for the first time. The drills were known as Zapad/Interaction. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, while Beijing has not provided direct military assistance to Moscow but has supported Russia by amplifying Russian disinformation and propaganda. China has the world’s largest navy in terms of ship numbers, with a battle force of about 340 ships and submarines. China’s army, according to the report, has 9.75 lakh active duty members, and Beijing’s aviation force is the largest in the region and third-largest in the world, with more than 2,800 aircraft.

The UN’s International Court of Justice ruled had ruled that China had no historic title over the South China Sea, but Beijing has ignored the decision.

The report added that in addition to China’s base in the small African nation of Djibouti, Beijing has considered several other nations for future Chinese military facilities ranging from Cambodia to Tajikistan to Kenya.

‘New normal’ around Taiwan. China has stated it wants to have the ability to control Taiwan, by force if necessary, by 2027, and the U.S. is seeing an “elevated level of new, intimidating and coercive activity” around the island. China considers Taiwan a wayward province.

Cyber-enabled espionage by China also remains a “sophisticated, persistent threat”, according to the report. The Pentagon accuses China’s military of attempting to take radiation hardened integrated circuits, gyroscopes, syntactic foam trade secrets,

22

February 2023

Current Issues & Events military communication jamming equipment, aviation technologies, anti-submarine warfare capabilities, and other technologies.

FFF

India has a major plan to counter adverse effects of heat wave

A

new World Bank report finds that as temperatures steadily rise in India due to climate change, keeping spaces cool using alternative and innovative energy efficient technologies can open an investment opportunity of U.S.$1.6 trillion by 2040. This also has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly and create nearly 37 lakh jobs. India is experiencing higher temperatures every year. By 2030, over 16–20 crore people across the country could be exposed to lethal heat waves annually. Around 3.4 crore people in India will face job losses due to heat stress related productivity decline. The current food loss due to heat during transportation is close to U.S.$13

billion annually. By 2037, the demand for cooling is likely to be eight times more than current levels. This means there will be a demand for a new air-conditioner every 15 seconds, leading to an expected rise of 435 percent in annual greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades. The World Bank study, “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector”, finds that shifting to a more energy efficient pathway could lead to a substantial reduction in expected CO2 levels over the next two decades. “India’s cooling strategy can help save lives and livelihoods, reduce carbon emissions and simultaneously position India as a global hub for green cooling manufacturing,” said Auguste Tano Kouamé, the World Bank’s Country Director in India. “The report suggests a sustainable roadmap for cooling that has the potential to reduce 30 crore tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2040.” Recognizing this challenge, India is already deploying new strategies to help people adapt to rising temperatures. In 2019, it launched the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) to provide sustainable cooling

""""""""""""""""""""""""""

February 2023

23

Current Issues & Events measures across various sectors, including indoor cooling in buildings and cold chain and refrigeration in the agriculture and pharmaceuticals sector and airconditioning in passenger transport. Its aim is to reduce the demand for cooling by up to 25 percent by 2037–38.

multiple buildings via underground insulated pipes. This brings down the cost for providing cooling to individual buildings and can reduce energy bills by 20– 30 percent compared to the most efficient conventional cooling solution.

The new World Bank report proposes a roadmap to support the ICAP’s new investments in three major sectors: building construction, cold chains, and refrigerants. Adopting climate-responsive cooling techniques as a norm in both private and government-

To minimize rising food and pharmaceutical wastage during transport due to higher temperatures, the report recommends fixing gaps in cold chain distribution networks. Investing in pre-cooling and refrigerated transport can help decrease food loss by about 76

funded constructions can ensure that those at the bottom of the economic ladder are not disproportionately affected by rising temperatures. The report suggests that India’s affordable housing program for the poor, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), can adopt such changes on scale. This could benefit over 11 million urban homes and over 29 million rural houses that the government aims to construct.

percent and reduce carbon emissions by 16 percent.

The report also recommends private investments in district cooling technologies. These generate chilled water in a central plant which is then distributed to

24

February 2023

India aims to phase out the production and use of ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons, used as coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators by 2047. The report recommends improvements in servicing, maintenance and disposal of equipment that use hydrochlorofluorocarbons, alongside a shift to alternative options with a lower global warming footprint. This can create 2 million jobs for trained technicians over the next two decades and reduce the demand for refrigerants by around 31 percent. ME&C

Mock GK Test 1 Directions for questions 1 to 50: Select the correct alternative from the given choices. 1. Along with India, which country recently co-chaired the Ninth Annual India–ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting? (1) Vietnam (2) Cambodia (3) Thailand (4) Laos (5) Philippines 2. The Indian Sports Ministry approved wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s proposal to train in Belmeken, Bulgaria, under Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). TOPS was first introduced in (1) 2014. (2) 2015. (3) 2017. (4) 2019. (5) 2021. 3. Who has become the first Indian woman to win a bronze medal in the ITTF–ATTU Asian Cup Table Tennis Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand? (Clue: pictured) (1) Manika Batra (2) Neha Aggarwal (3) Soumyajit Ghosh (4) Ankita Das (5) Mouma Das 4. Which of the following cities has hosted India's first-ever Street Circuit Car Racing? (1) Mumbai (2) Noida (3) Indore (4) Hyderabad (5) Shillong 5. The Second Edition of the Northeast Olympic Games was held at (1) Kohima, Nagaland. (2) Shillong, Meghalaya.

(3) Agartala, Tripura. (4) Imphal, Manipur. (5) Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. 6. On which of the following days is the World Fisheries Day celebrated? (1) 11 November (2) 15 November (3) 17 November (4) 19 November (5) 21 November 7. Which city hosted the 2022 India International Trade Fair (IITF)? (1) Hyderabad (2) Bengaluru (3) Kochi (4) New Delhi (5) Indore 8. Retail inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index, declined to 6.77 percent in October 2022. The CPI is released by (1) Indian Statistical Institute. (2) National Statistical Office. (3) Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). (4) Department of Finance. (5) NITI Aayog. 9. Choose the correct statements about the Goods and Services Tax (GST). (A) Highest-ever GST collection of ₹1.67 lakh crore in April 2022. (B) The 48th GST Council Meeting was held virtually on 17 December 2022. (C) It came into force on 1 July 2017. (D) It is a direct tax. (1) A, B, and C (3) C and D (5) A, B, C, and D

(2) A, C, and D (4) B, C, and D

February 2023

25

Improve your GK 10. Which is the world’s first country to start commercial production of Nano Urea?

the region to ensure a peaceful, stable and

(1) Russia

(2) Kazakhstan

prosperous Indian Ocean Region.

(3) India

(4) Brazil

(5) Australia

(1) B, C, and D (2) A, B, and C

11. Identify the correct statements about the 7th India Water Week. (A) It was held from 1-5 November 2022 in Greater Noida. (B) ‘Water Security for Sustainable Development and Equity’ was the theme. (C) It was conceptualized and organized for the first time in 2012. (D) It was organized by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. (1) A and B

(2) A and C

(3) A, B, and D

(4) B, C, and D

(5) A, B, C and D 12. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) celebrated its 70th Foundation Day in November 2022. In this context, which of the following are the various schemes that are present

(3) C and D (4) A, C, and D (5) A, B, C, and D 14. The first-ever National Conference of PwD Icons for Accessible Elections was organized by the Election Commission of India (ECI). ECI is a/an (1) constitutional body. (2) statutory body. (3) non-profit organization. (4) non-governmental organization. (5) none of the above. 15. The Ministry of Finance issued a notification for the sale of Electoral Bonds in November 2022. In this context, choose the correct statements about the Electoral Bonds. (A) The Government of India has notified the Electoral Bond Scheme 2018. (B) These may be purchased by a person who is a

under the EPFO?

citizen of India or incorporated or established

(1) Employees' Provident Funds Scheme 1952

in India.

(2) Employees' Pension Scheme 1995 (3) Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme 1976 (4) (1) and (2) (5) (1), (2) and (3) 13. A seminar was conducted by the Indian Navy on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, under the aegis of the Indian Ocean Rim Association

26

(D) Its main agenda is promoting cooperation in

(C) Only the political parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 shall be eligible to receive the Electoral Bonds. (D) State Bank of India (SBI) has been authorised to issue and encash Electoral Bonds. (E) These bonds shall be valid for fifteen calendar days from the date of issue.

(IORA). Identify the correct statements about the

(1) A, B, and C

IORA

(2) B, C, and D

(A) It was established in 1997.

(3) D and E

(B) At present, it has 23 member states.

(4) A, C, D, and E

(C) India is a founding member of IORA.

(5) A, B, C, D, and E

February 2023

Improve your GK 16. Which of the following are the sub-schemes of the National Bioenergy Programme, launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)? (1) Waste to Energy Programme (2) Biomass Programme (3) Biogas Programme (4) (1) and (2) (5) (1), (2) and (3) 17. Novak Djokovic won his sixth ATP Finals title, equalling Roger Federer’s record. Novak Djokovic

20. The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) was awarded ‘India Agribusiness Awards 2022’ for the Best Agribusiness Award under Fisheries Sector. NFDB is located at (1) Hissar, Haryana. (2) Anand, Gujarat. (3) Mangaluru, Karnataka. (4) Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. (5) Hyderabad, Telangana. 21. The Union Minister of Science and Technology

18. The Ministry of Finance released the eighth

Jitendra Singh launched India’s first national repository for life science data called ‘Indian Biological Data Centre’ (IBDC) at (1) Faridabad, Haryana. (2) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. (3) New Delhi. (4) Leh, Ladakh. (5) Haridwar, Uttarakhand.

monthly instalment of the Post Devolution

22. Who among the following persons has represented

belongs to (1) Serbia. (2) Switzerland. (3) Georgia. (4) Croatia. (5) Belgium.

Revenue Deficit (PDRD) Grant of ₹7,183.42 crore to 14 states. In this context, Revenue Deficit is (1) total expenditure – (revenue receipts + nondebt creating capital receipts). (2) fiscal deficit – interest payments. (3) total revenue expenditure – total revenue receipts. (4) (Revenue expenditure – revenue receipts) – grants for creation of capital assets. (5) Total expenditure – total receipts (excluding borrowings). 19. Who among the following persons has written the book titled 'Engineered in India: From Dreams To Billion-Dollar Cyient’? (Clue: pictured) (1) Amitabh Kant (2) Debjani Ghosh (3) B. V. R. Mohan Reddy (4) E. Sreedharan (5) Bhavish Aggarwal

India at the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup 2022 inaugration? (Clue: pictured) (1) Narendra Modi (2) Droupadi Murmu (3) Jagdeep Dhankhar (4) Anurag Singh Thakur (5) Sunil Chhetri 23. Choose the correct statements about the IndoPacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD). (A) New Delhi hosted the fourth edition of the IPRD. (B) The theme of IPRD 2022 was the 'Operationalising the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative'. (C) It is an apex-level regional strategic dialogue of the Indian Navy. (D) The National Maritime Foundation is the chief organizer of each edition of the IPRD event. February 2023

27

Improve your GK (1) A and B

(2) B, C, and D

(3) C and D

(4) A, C, and D

(5) A, B, C, and D 24. India was placed at 61st rank in the Network Readiness Index 2022 (NRI 2022), prepared by the (1) Portulans Institute. (2) International Telecommunication Union. (3) Reporters without Borders. (4) World Intellectual Property Organization. (5) Sustainable Development Solutions Network. 25. In which of the following states has the centre granted in-principle’ approval for setting up of bulk drug parks under the scheme for the ‘Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks’? (a) Himachal Pradesh (b) Gujarat (c) Andhra Pradesh (d) Haryana (e) Karnataka (1) a, c, d

(2) b, c, d

(3) c, d, e

(4) b, d, e

(5) a, b, c 26. Choose the correct statements about Harimau Shakti 2022. (1) It is a joint military exercise between India and Malaysia. (2) It has been conducted since 2012. (3) The exercise will enhance interoperability in planning and execution of various operations in jungle terrain. (4) (2) and (3) (5) (1), (2) and (3) 27. Who among the following persons is/are recipients of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for the year 2021? (1) Bhawani Singh Samyal (2) Shubham Dhananjay Vanmali (3) Naina Dhakad (4) (1) and (2) (5) (1), (2) and (3) 28

February 2023

28. Legendary athlete P. T. Usha is the new President of the Indian Olympic Association. In this context, choose the correct statement(s) about P. T. Usha. (A) She is the first woman President of the Indian Olympic Association. (B) She is a multiple Asian Games gold medallist. (C) She was a fourth-place finisher in the 1984 Olympics 400 m hurdles final. (D) She was elected as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. (E) She belongs to the state of Tamil Nadu. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

A, B, and C A, D, and E B, C, and E A, B, C, and D A, B, C, D, and E

29. Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, erupted for the first time in nearly 40 years. It is located in (1) Hawaiian Islands. (2) Java Islands. (3) Canary Islands. (4) Andaman and Nicobar Islands. (5) Nishinoshima islands. 30. National Press Day is celebrated on (1) November 1. (2) November 11. (3) November 16. (4) November 27. (5) November 30. 31. The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of regulation and supervision of regulated entities in their respective jurisdictions. The headquarters of IFSCA is located at (1) Hyderabad, Telangana. (2) Mumbai, Maharashtra. (3) New Delhi. (4) Gandhinagar, Gujarat. (5) Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Improve your GK 32. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards for the year 2021. Select the correct statements about the National Florence Nightingale Awards. (1) They were established by the Ministry of AYUSH. (2) They were instituted in 1973. (3) They are presented as mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by the nurses and nursing professionals to society. (4) (2) and (3) (5) (1), (2) and (3)

36. Identify the correct statements about Dynamic

33. Which organisation/institution has launched the Hull Module of Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterization and Evaluation (SPACE) facility for the Indian Navy at the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) in Kochi? (1) Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) (2) Bharath Dynamics Limited (BDL) (3) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) (4) Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) (5) National Physical Laboratory (NPL)

(E) It was released by the Ministry of Earth

34. Justice Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud was recently sworn in as the 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI). He was administered oath by the (1) Prime Minister of India. (2) President of India. (3) Law Minister of India. (4) Vice President of India. (5) Senior Most Judge of Supreme Court. 35. The Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman approved the final Sovereign Green Bonds framework of India. Green Bonds will be issued for mobilising resources for (1) National Parks. (2) green projects/infrastructure. (3) wildlife sanctuaries. (4) Project Tiger. (5) Project Elephant.

Ground Water Resource Assessment Report for the entire country for the year 2022. (A) Assessment report was carried out jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and states/UTs. (B) Total annual ground water recharge for the entire country is 437.60 billion cubic meters (BCM). (C) Annual ground water extraction for the entire country is 239.16 BCM. (D) Out of total 7089 assessment units, 1006 units were categorized as ‘over-exploited’. Sciences. (1) A, B, and C

(2) B, C, and D

(3) A, D, and E

(4) A, B, C, and D

(5) A, B, C, D, and E 37. The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reiterated his country's commitment to a free trade agreement (FTA) with India. In this context, FTAs can cover (a) goods. (b) services. (c) intellectual property rights. (d) investment. (1) a, b, c

(2) a, c, d

(3) a, b

(4) b, c, d

(5) a, b, c, d 38. The Central Government has constituted a committee to review the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme headed by (Clue: pictured) (1) Amarjeet Sinha. (2) K. V. Kamath. (3) Rajiv Mehrishi. (4) Ramesh Chand. (5) Abhijeet Sen.

February 2023

29

Improve your GK 39. The Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that Indian companies have spent more than one trillion rupees in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) till March 2022. As per CSR policy, companies should spend how much percentage of their net profit toward CSR. (1) 2 (2) 2.5 (3) 3 (4) 3.5 (5) 4 40. The Centre constituted an expert committee to examine and suggest measures for scaling up of venture capital and private equity (VC/PE) investments. This committee is headed by

(Clue: pictured)

(B) India’s MMR declined from 130 in 2014–16 to 97 in 2018–20. (C) Maternal mortality in a region is a measure of the reproductive health of women in the area. (D) Assam has the highest MMR in the country. (E) Kerala has the lowest MMR in the country. (1) (2) (3) (4)

A, B, and C B, C, and D D and E A, B, C, D, and E

(5) A, B, C, and D 43. Who among the following Indian boxers won the WBC International Super Bantamweight title as well as the WBC Asia Silver crown in Colombo?

(1) M. Damodaran.

(Clue: pictured)

(2) Sanjay Agrawal. (3) G. Mahalingam.

(1) Urvashi Singh

(4) S. Raman.

(2) Mary Kom

(5) Prashant Saran.

(3) Laishram Sarita Devi

41. Choose the correct statements from the options

(4) Simranjit Kaur

given below about the fourth edition of the Fit

(5) Nikhat Zareen

India School Week, which kicked off on 15 November 2022. (A) It encourages schools in inculcating fitness habits and awareness about sports. (B) Toofan and Toofani are the mascots of it. (C) It is a part of the Fit India Movement. (D) The first ‘Fit India School Week’ programme was started in December 2019. (1) A and B

(2) C and D

(3) A, B and C

(4) A, B, C and D

(5) B, C and D 42. According to a special bulletin released by the office of the Registrar General of India, choose the

Nobel

laureate

Venki

Royal Order of Merit award. This award is conferred by (1) USA. (2) Britain. (3) Australia. (4) France. (5) Mauritius. 45. The first G20 Sherpa meeting, under the presidency of India, was held in December 2022 at (1) Udaipur, Rajasthan. (2) Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

(MMR) in India (2018–20).

(3) Una, Himachal Pradesh.

(A) MMR is defined as the number of maternal

(4) Bengaluru, Karnataka.

February 2023

Professor

Ramakrishnan has been awarded the prestigious

correct statements on the Maternal Mortality Ratio

deaths per one lakh live births. 30

44. India-born

(5) Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Improve your GK 46. Which of the following companies has won the

(D) The Accessible India Campaign, related to PWDs, was launched in 2015.

bid to redevelop Dharavi in Mumbai, one of the largest slum clusters in the world?

(1) A, B, and C

(1) Reliance Infrastructure Limited

(2) B, C, and D

(2) Larsen and Toubro

(3) A, C, and E

(3) Adani Group

(4) A, C, and D

(4) GMR Infrastructure Limited

(5) A, B, C, and D

(5) IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited

49. Who among the following persons is not part of

47. India’s first integrated aqua park, under the Pradhan

the Indian men’s squash team that won the first-

Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), will

ever gold medal at the Asian Team Championships

be set up in

2022? (Clue: pictured)

(1) Arunachal Pradesh.

(1) Saurav Ghosal

(2) Gujarat.

(2) Ramit Tandon

(3) Kerala.

(3) Abhay Singh

(4) Goa.

(4) Velavan Senthil Kumar

(5) Assam.

(5) Sathiyan Gnanasekaran

48. Choose the correct statements about the Persons with Disabilities (PWD).

50. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently allowed HDFC Bank Limited and Canara Bank

(A) International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed every year on 3 December. (B) Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a call

Limited to open a special ‘Vostro account’ for trade in rupees with (1) UAE.

to use the word Divyang instead of the word

(2) Russia.

handicapped.

(3) Japan.

(C) According to the 2011 Census, PWD in India constitute of 2.21% of the total population.

(4) Israel. (5) China. Answers below

Key for Mock GK Test 1 - Pg. 25 1.

2

6. 5

11. 5

16. 5

21. 1

26. 5

31. 4

36. 4

41. 4

46. 3

2.

1

7. 4

12. 5

17. 1

22. 3

27. 5

32. 4

37. 5

42. 4

47. 1

3.

1

8. 2

13. 5

18. 3

23. 5

28. 4

33. 1

38. 1

43. 1

48. 5

4. 4

9. 1

14. 1

19. 3

24. 1

29. 1

34. 2

39. 1

44. 2

49. 5

5. 2

10. 3

15. 5

20. 5

25. 5

30. 3

35. 2

40 1

45. 1

50. 2

February 2023

31

Improve your GK

Mock GK Test 2 Directions for questions 1 to 50: Select the correct alternative from the given choices. 1. Which of the following organizations has released the Tribal Development Report 2022? (1) Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF) (2) National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (3) NITI Aayog (4) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (5) Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) 2. Choose the correct statements about the estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2022–23, both at Constant (2011–12) and at Current Prices. (A) These GDP estimates are released by the National Statistical Office (NSO). (B) GDP at Constant Prices in Q2 2022–23 is estimated at ₹38.17 lakh crore, showing a growth of 6.3%. (C) GDP at Current Prices in Q2 2022–23 is estimated at ₹65.31 lakh crore, showing a growth of 16.2% . (D) GDP at Constant Prices in April–September 2022–23 (H1 2022–23) is estimated at ₹75.02 lakh crore. (E) GDP at Current Prices in H1 2022–23 is estimated at ₹130.26 lakh crore. (1) A, B, C and E (2) B, C and D (3) A, C and D (4) A, D and E (5) A, B, C, D and E 3. The Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers, which stood at 132.5 points in October 2022, which is compiled by (1) Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. (2) Labour Bureau. 32

February 2023

(3) National Statistical Office. (4) NITI Aayog. (5) Central Statistics Office. 4. With which of the following countries has India signed an arrangement, regarding Economic Development Cooperation Fund loan of over ₹1,495.68 crore? (1) United States of America (2) Russia (3) Japan (4) South Korea (5) Sri Lanka 5. The Indian Air Force conducted the Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise called ‘Samanvay 2022’ in (1) Agra. (2) Shillong. (3) Chandigarh. (4) Nagpur. (5) Udhampur. 6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Constitution Day celebrations in the Supreme Court on 26 November 2022. This day has been celebrated as Constitution Day since (1) 1949. (2) 2015. (3) 1950. (4) 2017. (5) 1976. 7. World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) was celebrated during 18–24 November 2022 with the theme of (1) Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance. (2) Change Can’t Wait. Our Time with Antibiotics is Running Out. (3) Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together. (4) Handle with care: United to preserve antimicrobials. (5) The future of antibiotics depends on all of us.

Improve your GK 8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Qasym-Jomart Toqayev for his victory in the Presidential elections in Kazakhstan. In this context, choose the correct statements about Kazakhstan. (A) Astana is the capital. (B) Tenge is its currency. (C) It is the largest country in Central Asia. (D) It is the world’s largest producer of Uranium. (E) Caspian Sea is bounded by Kazakhstan to the southwest. (1) A, B and E (2) C, D and E (3) B, C and D (4) A, B, C, D and E (5) B, D and E 9. Which of the following days is observed as the Public Service Broadcasting Day to commemorate the only visit of the Mahatma Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi, in 1947? (1) 12 November

(2) 1 November

(3) 3 December

(4) 10 December

(5) 9 November 10. Nagaland celebrated its 60th Statehood Day on 1 December 2022. In this context, which of the following festivals is celebrated in Nagaland from 1 to 10 December? (1) Bihu

(2) Hornbill

(3) Wangala

(4) Ziro

(5) Lossong 11. According to the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief’, which of the following country’s remittance flows will rise 12% to reach $100 billion in 2022? (1) India

(2) Mexico

(3) China

(4) Philippines

(5) Egypt February 2023

33

Improve your GK 12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the fifth Vande Bharat Express train in Bengaluru, Karnataka. In this context, choose the correct statements about Vande Bharat Express trains. (A) These are India’s first indigenous Semi High Speed train. (B) The first train was flagged off in February

15. The US Air Force unveiled its B-21 Raider stealth bomber, the most advanced military aircraft ever. It was developed by (1) Northrop Grumman. (2) Lockheed Martin. (3) Boeing. (4) General Dynamics Corporation. (5) Raytheon Technologies.

2019, from New Delhi to Varanasi.

16. Air India has signed agreements to complete

(C) They can run up to a maximum speed of 160

the acquisition of 100 percent shareholding in

kmph.

AirAsia India. Who among the following is the

(D) They are manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, Tamil Nadu. (1) A, B and C (2) A, C and D (3) B, C and D (4) A, B and D (5) A, B, C and D 13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently inaugurated ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’. In this regard, identify the correct statements about it. (1) It is a month-long programme being organised in Kashi (Varanasi). (2) Its objective is to celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. (3) IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are the two implementing agencies. (4) (1) and (2) (5) (1), (2) and (3) 14. The Union Government has declared 15 November as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on the occasion of the birth anniversary of (1) Alluri Sitarama Raju. (2) Bhagwan Birsa Munda. (3) Rani Gaidinliu. (4) Komaram Bheem. (5) Tirot Singh. 34

February 2023

Chief Executive Officer of Air India?

(Clue: pictured) (1) Campbell Wilson (2) Ajay Singh (3) Bhaskar Bhat (4) Natarajan Chandrasekaran (5) Kaushik Khona

17. Identify the correctly matched pairs regarding the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2022. (A) Indian Film Personality of the Year Award: Chiranjeevi Konidela (B) Golden Peacock Award for Best Film: I have Electric Dreams (C) Silver Peacock Award for Best Actor (Male): Vahid Mobasheri (D) Silver Peacock Award for the Best Actor (Female): Daniela Marin Navarro (E) Best Director Award: Nader Saeivar (1) A, B, C and E (2) B, C, D and E (3) A, C and D (4) A, B, C and D (5) A, B, C, D and E 18. Sharath Kamal was conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2022. In this context, choose the correct statements about Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. (A) It is India’s highest sporting honour. (B) It was rechristened from Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.

Improve your GK (C) It is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over the period of the previous four years. (D) It carries a cash prize of `25 lakh, a medal and a scroll of honour. (1) A, B and C

(2) B, C and D

(3) A, B, C and D

(4) A, C and D

(5) C and D 19. For which of the following organizations/ institutions has India assumed Presidency on 1 December 2022? (1) United Nations Security Council (UNSC) (2) Group of 20 (G20) (3) 28th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) (4) (1) and (2) (5) (1), (2) and (3) 20. ‘The Last Heroes: Foot Soldiers of Indian Freedom’ is written by (Clue: pictured) (1) P. Sainath. (2) Shekhar Pathak. (3) Dominique Lapierre.

22. Identify the correct statements regarding the 18th edition of joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’. (1) It is a joint military exercise conducted annually between India and USA. (2) The 18th edition was held in Auli district of Uttarakhand. (3) The 15-day-long exercise will primarily focus on high altitude and extreme cold warfare.. (4) (1) and (3) (5) (1), (2) and (3) 23. Who among the following became India’s first woman Deaflympian to receive the Arjuna Award 2022? (1) Jerlin Anika (2) Seema Punia (3) Sarita (4) Sushila Devi (5) Sreeja Akula 24. Who among the following persons was honoured with Jaipur Foot USA’s 1st Global Humanitarian Award 2022? (1) Danish Manzoor Bhat (2) Sachin Awasthi (3) Raghavan Seetharaman (4) Sandeep Marwah (5) None of the above

(4) Natwar Singh.

25. The Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2022 has been awarded to ‘The Chipko Movement: A People’s Movement’, written by

(5) Vinod Rai. 21. Gandhian and women empowerment activist Elaben Bhatt has passed away. Identify the correct statements about her. (A) She belongs to the state of Rajasthan. (B) She founded the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in 1972. (C) She was honoured with the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1977. (D) She was also the recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Awards. (1) A, B and C (3) A, C and D (5) A, B, C, and D

(2) B, C and D (4) B and D



(Clue: pictured) (1) Shekhar Pathak. (2) Ruskin Bond. (3) Jairam Ramesh. (4) Alok Chakrawal. (5) Sunderlal Bahuguna.

26. Who among the following participated in the Ninth India-U.S. Economic and Financial Partnership 2022 held in New Delhi. (A) Nirmala Sitharaman; Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of India (B) Janet L.Yellen; Federal Reserve Chairman February 2023

35

Improve your GK (C) Shaktikanta Das; Governor of RBI (D) Jerome Powell; United States Treasury Secretary

Dairying announced the National Gopal Ratna

(1) A, B and C

(2) B, C and D

Awards for 2022, which will conferred to winners

(3) A and C

(4) A, B, C and D

on

(5 ) A, C, D

(1) National Fisheries Day.

27. In which of the following cities did the Reserve

(2) National Milk Day.

Bank of India introduce the first pilot retail digital

(3) National Farmers Day.

Rupee (e₹-R) on 1 December 2022?

(4) National Pulses Day.

(a) Mumbai

(b) New Delhi

(5) National Water Day.

(c) Bengaluru

(d) Bhubaneswar

(1) a, b

(2) a, c

(3) b, c

(4) a, b, c

32. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is observed on 25 November 2022, with the theme of

(5) a, b, c, d

(1) ‘UNITE! Activism to End Violence against

28. Which country occupied the top place in local patent filings with 5.5% growth rate as per the World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI) report, released by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)? (2) China

(3) USA

(4) South Korea

29. According Survey

to

(PLFS)

the

Periodic

released

by

Labour the

Force

National

eased to ______ percent in July–September 2022. (3) 7

(4) 7.2

Women Now!’. (3) ‘Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect’.

(5) None of the above

rate in urban areas for persons aged above 15 (2) 6.9

(2) ‘Orange the World: End Violence against

Stands Against Rape’.

Statistical Office (NSO), the unemployment

(1) 6.5

Women and Girls’.

(4) ‘Orange the World: Generation Equality

(1) Canada (5) Japan

(5) 7.5 30. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) rolled out Project RE-HAB (Reducing ElephantHuman Attacks using Bees) in Assam. Project REHAB is a sub-mission of (1) National Honey Mission.

36

31. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and

33. The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) was in news recently. How many countries are part of AOSIS? (1) 30

(2) 34

(3) 39

(4) 44

(5) 54 34. Identify the correct statements about Gandhi Mandela Award 2022. (1) The 14th Dalai Lama was conferred with the Gandhi Mandela Award. (2) It is constituted by the Gandhi Mandela Foundation. (3) This award was instituted on the 150th birth

(2) Project Elephant.

anniversary of the Father of the Nation,

(3) National Aroma Mission.

Mahatma Gandhi.

(4) Mission Indra Dhanush.

(4) (1) and (2)

(5) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.

(5) (1), (2) and (3)

February 2023

Improve your GK 35. Which of the following payloads was/were carried onboard the recently launched satellite EOS-06 by the PSLV-C54 rocket? (a) Ocean Color Monitor (OCM-3) (b) Sea Surface Temperature Monitor (SSTM) (c) Ku-Band Scatterometer (SCAT-3) (d) ARGOS (1) a, b, c (3) b, c, d (5) a, b, c, d

(2) a, c, d (4) a, d

36. Which of the following organizations distributed the Jan Dhan account kits to waste segregation workers under its Waste Management Programme? (1) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (2) World Bank (3) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (4) International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (5) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 37. The world’s first intranasal vaccine iNCOVACC has received approval for Covid booster doses from Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). iNCOVACC is a (1) Plasmid DNA vaccine. (2) Inactive vaccine. (3) RNA vaccine. (4) recombinant replication-deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine. (5) None of the above 38. The study report on ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India’ was released by (1) NITI Aayog. (2) Central Pollution Control Board. (3) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. February 2023

37

Improve your GK (4) Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. (5) United Nations Environment Programme. 39. Choose the correct statements about the Conference of Parties (CoP) to CITES. (A) CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (B) It came into force on 1 July 1975. (C) At present, there are 184 parties in it. (D) India’s proposal for transferring Leith’s Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia leithi) from Appendix II to Appendix I of the CITES has been adopted in its 19th Meeting. (E) The 19th CoP to CITES meeting was held at Panama City in Panama. (1) A, B and C

(2) B, C and D

(3) A, D and E

(4) A, B, C and D

(5) A, B, C, D and E 40. As per a RBI Report, how many lakh crore in loans were written off by the banks which helped to reduce their Non-Performing Assets (NPA) by half in the past five years? (1) ₹10 lakh

(2) ₹15 lakh

(3) ₹20 lakh

(4) ₹25 lakh

(5) ₹30 lakh 41. Which of the following are the outcomes of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) concluded on 20 November 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt? (a) Loss and Damage Fund for Vulnerable Countries (b) African Carbon Market Initiative (ACMI) (c) Action on Water Adaptation and Resilience Initiative (AWARe) (d) Global Renewables Alliance

privately developed space launch vehicle called Vikram-S. (A) It is named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space programme. (B) It is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle. (C) It was developed by the Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited. (D) It carried three payloads developed by SpaceKidz, N-SpaceTech, and BazoomQ Space Research Lab. (E) The rocket was launched under Mission Prarambh. (1) A, B and C (2) C, D and E (3) B, C and D (4) A, B, C and D (5) A, B, C, D and E 43. Which country launched the Pavilion of Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) at the 27th Session of Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27)? (1) Egypt

(2) France

(3) India

(4) UK

(5) USA 44. Identify the correct statements about the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA), in which India will assume the chairmanship on 1 January 2023, for a period of one year. (A) It is a multilateral export control regime on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies. (B) It came into force in 1996. (C) It has 42 members. (D) India joined it in 2017 and became its 42nd member.

(1) a, b, c

(2) b, c, d

(1) A and D

(2) B, C and D

(3) a, c, d

(4) a, c

(3) C and D

(4) A, B, C

(5) a, b, c, d 38

42. Choose the correct statements about India’s first

February 2023

(5) A, B, C, D

Improve your GK 45. Identify the correct statements about retail digital Rupee (e₹-R), launched by the RBI on a pilot basis in India on 1 December 2022. (a) RBI identified eight banks for phase-wise participation in this trial. (b) It is similar to the physical cash except that the e-rupee is held electronically in a digital wallet. (c) It would be in the same denominations that paper currency and coins currently issued. (d) It is in the form of a digital token that represents legal tender. (1) a, b, c (3) b, c, d (5) a, b, c, d

(2) a, c, d (4) a, b

46. As per the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF)’s population estimates 2022, identify the correct statements. (A) The world's population reached 8 billion people on 15 November 2022. (B) Vinice Mabansag, a girl born in Philippines is being considered as the symbolic eight billionth person in the world. (C) Asia is the most populous region in the world. (D) China and India are the two most populous countries in the world. (E) It is also projected that India will surpass China as the world's most populous country by 2023. (1) A, B and C (2) C, D and E (3) A, B, D and E (4) A, B, C and D (5) A, B, C, D and E 47. India has been ranked eighth as per the Climate Change Performance Index 2023. Which of the following countries were ranked 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th, respectively?

(A) Denmark

(B) Morocco

(C) Sweden

(D) Chile

(1) A, B, D, C

(2) B, A, C, D

(3) A, C, D, B

(4) C, A, B, D

(5) A, B, C, D 48. Choose the correct statements about the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022. (A) India hosted this tournament for the first time at Navi Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, and Goa. (B) Ibha, an Asiatic lioness, was the official Mascot for the tournament. (C) The 2018 champion Spain won the trophy for the second time in a row. (D) Spain’s Vicky Lopez won the adidas Golden Ball. (E) Colombia’s Linda Caicedo won the adidas Silver Ball. (1) A, B and C

(2) A, D and E

(3) A, B, C, D and E (4) A, B, D and E (5) B, C, D and E 49. Which of the following countries hosted the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, won by England? (1) Australia.

(2) India

(3) Bangladesh

(4) New Zealand

(5) England 50. The Supreme Court of India has recently upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, which provides 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to (1) Scheduled Castes (SC). (2) Scheduled Tribes (ST). (3) Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC). (4) Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). (5) Other Backward Classes (OBC). ME&C Answers on pg. 46

Note: Correction in ME&C January 2023 Magazine: In Mock GK Test 2, the answer for Q.21 should have read as (5) All the above. The error is regretted. February 2023

39

Persons in News &Places

I

ndia and South Korea (Republic of Korea) signed the arrangement regarding Economic Development Cooperation Fund loan of over 245 billion Korean won (approx. ₹1,495.68 crore) for establishment of Intelligent Transport System on Nagpur–Mumbai Super Communication Expressway Project in Delhi. The objective of the project is to enhance the efficiency in traffic management through establishment of the Intelligent Traffic Management System. This is the first project funded by EDCF loan by the Government of South Korea. The project will also improve the efficiency in toll management through the establishment of the Toll Collection System. South Korea was designated as India’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) partner for development cooperation in 2016. The Economic Development Co-operation Fund (EDCF) was established in 1987 and plays an important role as Korea’s representative aid fund. As an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) DAC member, South Korea is continuously reflecting the demands of developing countries for infrastructure expansion and endeavour to establish a new development cooperation model and raise the level of aid quality.

I

ran’s morality police, which is tasked with enforcing the country's Islamic dress code, is being disbanded, the country's attorney general Mohammad Jafar Montazeri. Control of the force lies with the interior ministry and not with the judiciary. He also told the Iranian parliament the law that requires women to wear hijabs would be looked at. Even if the morality police is shut down this does not mean the decades-old law will be changed. Iran has seen months of protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman in custody. Mahsa Amini had been detained by the morality police for allegedly breaking strict rules on head coverings. Massive protests, labelled ‘riots’ by the authorities, have swept Iran since 22-year-old Amini died in custody on 16 September 2022, three days after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran. Her death was the catalyst for the unrest, but it also follows discontent over poverty, unemployment, inequality, injustice, and corruption. If confirmed, the scrapping of the morality police would be a concession but there are no guarantees it would be enough to halt the protests, which have seen demonstrators burn their head coverings.

The EDCF supports partner countries in providing of loans for their economic development. The EDCF’s loans are administered by the Export-Import Bank of Korea under the supervision of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. The bilateral relationship between the two countries was upgraded to ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ in 2015.

Iran has had various forms of 'morality police' since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but the latest version – known formally as the Gasht-e–Ershad – is currently the main agency tasked enforcing Iran's Islamic code of conduct. They began their patrols in 2006 to enforce the dress code which also requires women to wear long clothes and forbids shorts, ripped jeans and other clothes deemed immodest.

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February 2023

CURRENT EVENT CHRONICLE

D

ominique Lapierre (pictured), a French author with a passion for India and whose novels sold tens of millions of copies, has died, aged 91. Born on 30 July 1931 in Chatelaillon, Lapierre has sold about 50 million copies of the six books he wrote in collaboration with the American writer Larry Collins, the most famous being ‘Is Paris Burning?’ The non-fiction book published in 1965 chronicled the events leading up to August 1944, when Nazi Germany surrendered control of the French capital, and was adapted for the silver screen by Francis Ford Coppola and Gore Vidal. His 1985 novel ‘City of Joy’ – about the hardships of a rickshaw puller in Kolkata – was also a massive success. A movie based on it was released in 1992, starring Patrick Swayze and directed by Roland Joffe. Lapierre donated the bulk of his royalties from ‘City of Joy’ to support humanitarian projects in India. In 2005, he said that thanks in part to this move, as well as donations from readers, it became “possible to cure a million tuberculosis patients in 24 years (and) to care for 9,000 children with leprosy”. After ‘Is Paris Burning?’, he continued his fruitful partnership with Collins. The duo authored ‘Or I’ll Dress You in Mourning’ (1968), ‘O Jerusalem’ (1972), ‘Freedom at Midnight’ (1975), ‘The Fifth Horseman’ (1980), and the thriller ‘Is New York Burning?’.

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audi Arabia has extended the term of a U.S.$3 billion deposit it made to Pakistan’s foreign reserves. Saudi Arabia deposited the money in Pakistan's central bank in December 2021 as a loan to shore up the cashstrapped country's reserves. The central bank reserves stood at U.S.$5.6 billion as of 28 December 2022.

Too low to cover more than a month of imports, the reserves together with a widening current account deficit have threatened a balance of payment crises for the South Asian economy. By shoring up the reserves, it added, the money has contributed to meeting external sector challenges and achieve sustainable economic growth for the country. Pakistan has been in dire need of external financing as it waits for the ninth review of a U.S.$7 billion bailout package by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Pakistan also approved the signing of a debt rescheduling of U.S.$26.1 million with Japan Bank for International Cooperation under  G20 debt servicing initiative to mitigate Covid-19 losses.

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he United States of America’s newest nuclear stealth bomber, B-21 Raider, made its public debut after years of secret development and as part of the Pentagon’s answer to rising concerns over a future conflict with China. The B-21 Raider is the first new American bomber aircraft in more than 30 years. Almost every aspect of the program is classified. The Raider resembles the black nuclear stealth bomber, and it will eventually replace the B-2 Spirit. The bomber is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to modernize all three legs of its nuclear triad, which includes silo-launched nuclear ballistic missiles and submarine-launched warheads, as it shifts from the counterterrorism campaigns of recent decades to meet China’s rapid military modernization. China is on track to have 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035, and its gains in hypersonics, cyber warfare, space capabilities and other areas present “the most consequential and systemic challenge to U.S. national security and the free and open international system,” the Pentagon said in its annual China report. While the Raider may resemble the B-2, once you get inside, the similarities stop, said Kathy Warden, chief February 2023

41

CURRENT EVENT CHRONICLE executive of Northrop Grumman Corp., which built the Raider. “The way it operates internally is extremely advanced compared to the B-2, because the technology has evolved so much in terms of the computing

More about Northrop Grumman: Headquarters: Falls Church, Virginia, U.S.; CEO: Kathy Warden (pictured).

capability that we can now embed in the software of the B-21,” she said.

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coatings to make the bomber harder to detect, new ways

P

to control electronic emissions, so the bomber could

South Korea, Japan, Panama, and the U.S., in its Global

Other changes likely include advanced materials used in

spoof adversary radars and disguise itself as another object, and use of new propulsion technologies. In a fact sheet, Northrop Grumman, based in Falls Church, Virginia, said it is using "new manufacturing techniques and materials to ensure the B-21 will defeat the antiaccess, area-denial systems it will face." Six B-21 Raiders are in production. The U.S. Air Force plans to build 100 that can deploy either nuclear weapons or conventional bombs and can be used with or without a human crew. Both the Air Force and Northrop also point to the Raider's relatively quick development: The bomber went from contract award to debut in seven years. Other new fighter and ship programmes have taken decades.

atna-based

research

institute

Centre for Policy Analysis (CPA) has put India

on top of the ‘global minority index’, followed by Minority Report tabulating 110 countries. India ranks top in terms of neutrality of state towards religion, inclusivity and global minority index. Maldives, Afghanistan, and Somalia figure at the bottom of the list, while the UK is ranked 54 and the UAE 61. The CPA said their approach has been mathematical and the grading of countries was done on the basis of approach of the State towards minority religions, and the extent of their inclusiveness. This report only considers macro parameters to analyze the status of religious minorities in a country, and the approach of a state towards them. “Only those parameters have been taken into account to assess the status of religious minorities which relate to Constitutional provisions,

The cost of the bombers is unknown. The Air Force

policies of a government, and other broader indicators,

previously put the price for a buy of 100 aircraft at

such as the laws of the land,” the CPA said, adding that

an average cost of $550 million each in 2010 dollars

this was the first time an Afro-Asian or ‘non-Western’

— roughly $753 million today — but it's unclear how

country had prepared such a report.

much the Air Force is actually spending.

The Indian government had earlier rejected the USCIRF

The Raider will not make its first flight until 2023.

report, terming it “inaccurate and biased”. Ministry of

However, using advanced computing, Warden said, Northrop Grumman has been testing the Raider's performance using a digital twin, a virtual replica of the one being unveiled. The B-2 was also envisioned

External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, had alleged that USCIRF has a tendency to consistently misrepresent the facts which shows the lack of their understanding about India, its constitutional framework,

to be a fleet of more than 100 aircraft, but the Air Force

plurality and robust democratic system.

ultimately built only 21 of them, due to cost overruns

The CPA report places India at the top in the state

and a changed security environment after the Soviet

religion neutrality index and state inclusive index and

Union fell.

ranks among the bottom five in the state discrimination

42

February 2023

CURRENT EVENT CHRONICLE index — an indicator of how discriminatory a country’s constitution and laws are towards minority communities. The CPA report praised India for its inclusivity and treatment of minorities, stating, “The enactment of CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019) and the following demonstrations by the Muslim community to include Muslims too in the list of minorities eligible to get the citizenship of India through an expedited process, are the most notable signs of the status of the Muslims in India. The fact that the persons belonging to religious minorities have been elevated to almost all-important positions from time to time in India is an important indicator of the status of the religious minorities.” It added, however, that “India needs to rationalise its minority policy if it wants to avoid conflictual situations in the country”. According to the CPA report, the aim was to understand the approach of various countries toward their respective minorities and countries with more than one million population were included in the study. The report stated that owing to resource constraints, countries were assessed on broader parameters such as constitutional provisions, laws of the land, the approach of the state towards minority religionists, public policy, and openness of opportunity towards religious minorities for the highest office. While the report awarded India 100 out of 100 points on state religious neutrality, state inclusivity index and global minority index, Somalia was placed at the bottom on all three parameters. Afghanistan was placed at the top in the state discrimination index. South Korea, Japan, Panama, and the USA joined India in the top five rankings on the global minority index. Nepal is ranked at 39, whereas Russia is ranked 52. China and Bangladesh were ranked at 90 and 99, respectively. Pakistan is ranked at 104 in the report, whereas Taliban-led Afghanistan secured 109th position while Somalia was ranked at the bottom.

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rof. Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar (pictured), professor emeritus at Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI), has been appointed as part-time chairperson of National Statistical Commission of India (NSCI) for three years. NSCI is an autonomous body formed in 2005 following a recommendation by Dr C Rangarajan Commission. Prof. Karandikar, who joined CMI as a visiting professor in 2010 and was its director from January 2011 to April 2021, said he would try to modernize the statistics system of the union government. He said delays in decoding data collected from national surveys impacted decision making. “While India has been a pioneer in developing statistical techniques and its use for long, we need to adapt to the changing world, where statistics is increasingly playing a larger role in all walks of life, be it business, finance, medicine, environment, among others, leading to massive job opportunities in data science, analytics and AI. In this context, it’s imperative that we transform the government machinery to lead the country from the front,” he said.

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. Achalender Reddy (pictured), a 1986 batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) Officer, is the new Chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai, a statutory institution established by the Government of India to implement the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The National Biodiversity Authority is the Competent National Authority of India for the United Nations February 2023

43

CURRENT EVENT CHRONICLE Convention on Biological Diversity. NBA is an autonomous body that regulates and advises the government of India on matters of conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits of use. It was established in 2003 to implement the Biological Diversity Act of 2002 and its chairperson is appointed for a term of three years.

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rgentina’s vice president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (pictured), was found guilty of corruption in federal court in a case dating back to when she was president. A three-judge panel sentenced Kirchner to six years in prison and a lifetime ban from holding political office. Prosecutors say she worked with others to skim nearly $1 billion from fake contracts and bogus construction of 51 public works projects when she was president. She served as Argentina's president between 2007 and 2015 and masterminded a political comeback in 2019, running for vice president with Alberto Fernández. Kirchner denies any wrongdoing and spoke right after the verdict, saying she is the target of the judges, whom she called a mafia running a parallel party bent on keeping her out of office. She will not be jailed while appealing the verdict, which could take years. She is a polarizing figure in Argentina, seen by her loyal base as a champion of the poor. Others blame her for the country's continual economic problems including inflation, which is expected to hit 100% by year's end.

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February 2023

CURRENT EVENT CHRONICLE Award

K

2022 Earthshot Prize

hyeti, an Indian firm is among the five startups that won Prince William's Earthshot Prize, which aims to reward projects that aim to save the planet. The winners receive 1 million pounds each.

Kheyti, an Indian startup that designed the "greenhouse-in-a-box" for small hold farmers, won in the Protect and Restore Nature category. The solution is powerful: their innovation saves on water and pesticides, with much higher yields at a fraction of the price. They aim to equip 50,000 farmers with a greenhouse-in-a-box by 2027.

Launched in 2021, the Earthshot Prize Kaushik Kappagantula & Sathya Raghu Co-Founders, Kheyti was inspired by the U.S. President John F. Kennedy's Moonshot Project, which aimed to put a man on the moon.

Category Winners Clean our Air: Mukuru Clean Stoves, Kenya – a start-up providing cleaner-burning stoves to women in Kenya to reduce unhealthy indoor pollution and provide a safer way to cook. Protect and Restore Nature: Kheyti, India – a pioneering solution for local smallholder farmers to reduce costs, increase yields and protect livelihoods in a country on the frontlines of climate change. Revive our Oceans: Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia – an inspiring women-led programme that combines 60,000 years of indigenous knowledge with digital technologies to protect land and sea. Build a Waste-free World: Notpla, United Kingdom – a circular solution creating an alternative to plastic packaging from seaweed. Fix our Climate: 44.01, Oman – created by childhood friends who have developed an innovative technique to turn CO2 into rock, and permanently store it underground. February 2023

45

CURRENT EVENT CHRONICLE

T

World Athlete of the Year Award

he World Athlete of the Year Award is a prize that can be won by athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics organised by World Athletics (formerly named IAAF), including

track and field, cross country running, road running, and racewalking. x Male World Athlete of the Year: Armand Duplantis (Sweden; pole-vaulter) x Female World Athlete of the Year: Sydney McLaughlinLevrone (U.S.; sprinter) x Male Rising Star: Erriyon Knighton (U.S.; sprinter) x Female Rising Star: Adriana Vilagoš (Serbia; javelin)

Armand Duplantis

x Coaching Achievement Award: Gennadii Zuiev (Ukraine; high jump) x Fair Play Award: Katie Nageotte (U.S.) and Holly Bradshaw (UK) (pole-vaulters) ME&C Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Key for Check your Vocab Pg. 49 1. B

6. C

11. D

16. D

21. H

26. B

2. D

7. B

12. C

17. B

22. E

27. C

3. A

8. D

13. C

18. D

23. I

28. F

4. D

9. A

14. C

19. D

24. A

29. D

5. D

10. B

15. B

20. D

25. J

30. G

Key for Mock GK Test 2 - Pg. 32 1. 1

6. 2

11. 1

16. 1

21. 2

26. 3

31. 2

36. 3

41. 5

46. 5

2. 5

7. 3

12. 5

17. 5

22. 5

27. 5

32. 1

37. 4

42. 5

47. 3

3. 2

8. 4

13. 5

18. 3

23. 1

28. 2

33. 3

38. 1

43. 3

48. 3

4. 4

9. 1

14. 2

19. 4

24. 1

29. 4

34. 5

39. 5

44. 5

49. 1

5. 1

10. 2

15. 1

20. 1

25. 1

30. 1

35. 5

40. 1

45. 5

50. 4

46

February 2023

s Persons s Places

4Ps

s Products s Punch-lines

Company Forms Initials

Country

Meaning

A/S (Aksjeselskap)............................................................................................Norway ............................Incorporated AB (Aktiebolag).................................................................................................Sweden ............................Incorporated AG (Aktiengesellschaft)...................................................................................Germany..........................Incorporated Bhd (Berhad).....................................................................................................Malaysia...........................Incorporated Cia (Compania).................................................................................................Spain.................................Company Cie (Compagnie)...............................................................................................France...............................Company GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung)......................................Germany..........................Limited Liability Company KK (Kabushiki Kaisha)....................................................................................Japan.................................Joint Stock Corporation NV (Naamlose Vennootschap).......................................................................Netherlands....................Incorporated Oy (Osakeyhtiot)...............................................................................................Finland.............................Incorporated P.T. (Perusahaan Terbatas)..............................................................................Indonesia.........................Limited Company PLC or Ltd..........................................................................................................Britain..............................Public Limited Company Pte.........................................................................................................................Singapore.........................Private Limited Company Pty.........................................................................................................................Australia..........................Proprietary S.A.R.L. (Sociedad Anonima de Responsabilidade Limitada)...............Brazil.................................Incorporated SA (Societe Anonyme or Sociedad Anonima).............................................France, Spain..................Incorporated SPA (Societa per Azioni)..................................................................................Italy...................................Incorporated ME&C February 2023

47

Inspiration

Three Passions

Three passions have governed my life: The longings for love, the search for knowledge, And unbearable pity for the suffering of (humankind). Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness. In the union of love I have seen In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined. With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of (people). I have wished to know why the stars shine. Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens, But always pity brought me back to earth; Cries of pain reverberated in my heart Of children in famine, of victims tortured And of old people left helpless. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, And I too suffer. This has been my life; I found it worth living. – Bertrand Russell 48

February 2023

ME&C

Check

your

Direction for questions 1 to 10: Choose the antonym of the italicised word. 1. Ham-fisted (A) desultory (B) adept (C) stringent (D) solemn 2. Tautology (A) banality (C) infinity

(B) tranquility (D) brevity

3. Decrepitude (A) robustness (C) obduracy

(B) resoluteness (D) steadfastness

4. Rancid (A) rejuvenated (C) bland

(B) emaciated (D) fresh

5. Allay (A) change (C) stimulate

(B) reinforce (D) intensify

6. Sporadic (A) spasmodic (C) continual

(B) flimsy (D) contiguous

7. Reproachful (A) gripping (C) believable

(B) acclamatory (D) unctuous

8. Seminal (A) slipshod (C) elaborate

Vocab

15. (A) saw (C) aphorism

(B) diktat (D) epigram

16. (A) homeric (C) heroic

(B) monumental (D) infinitesimal

17. (A) breach (C) contravention

(B) dereliction (D) infringement

18. (A) pot-pourri (C) mélange

(B) medley (D) concoction

19. (A) feint (C) subterfuge

(B) hoax (D) falsetto

20. (A) numinous (C) mysterious

(B) spiritual (D) luminescent

Direction for questions 21 to 30: Match the definition given in column A with its corresponding word in column B. A B 21. One who scoffs at (A) Virtuoso tradition 22. Strict disciplinarian

(B) stoic

23. Person who is abnormally anxious about his health

(C) dipsomaniac

24. Brilliant performer

(D) malefactor

(B) flawed (D) extraneous

(E) martinet

9. Odium (A) approval (C) trial

25. Person who has superficial knowledge about the arts

(B) confirmation (D) finesse

(F) kleptomaniac

10. Recant (A) condemn (C) reciprocate

26. Person who meets adversity or pain without flinching

(B) reaffirm (D) disprove

27. One who is obsessively addicted to alcohol

(G) malingerer

28. One who has an irresistable urge to steal

(H) iconoclast

12. (A) rapprochement (B) reconciliation (C) subterfuge (D) harmonisation

29. Criminal or wrongdoer

(I) hypochondriac

13. (A) protége (C) habitue

(B) pupil (D) student

(J) dilettante

14. (A) quagmire (C) chimera

(B) morass (D) mire

30. Person who exaggerates or feigns illness in order to escape work ME&C

Direction for questions 11 to 20: Find the odd man out. 11. (A) patrimony (C) legacy

(B) heritage (D) spoils

Answers on pg. 46

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FUN CORNER

Anecdotes of Some Great Scientists

T

It is ‘relatively’ easy

here’s a story about how Albert Einstein was traveling to universities in a chauffeur-driven car delivering lectures on his theory of relativity. One day while in transit, the chauffeur remarked: “Dr Einstein, I’ve heard you deliver that lecture 30 times. I know it by heart and bet I could give it myself.” “Well, I’ll give you the chance,” said Einstein. “They don’t know me at the next college, so when we get there I’ll put on your cap, and you introduce yourself as me and give the lecture.” The chauffeur delivered Einstein’s lecture flawlessly. When he finished, he started to leave, but one of the professors stopped him and asked a complex question filled with mathematical equations and formulas. The chauffeur thought fast. “The solution to that problem is so simple,” he said, “I’m surprised you have to ask me. In fact, to show you just how simple it is, I’m going to ask my chauffeur to come up here and answer your question.”



S

Srinivasa Ramanujan: 1729

rinivasa Ramanujan was a mathematical prodigy. “I remember once going to see him when he was lying ill at Putney,” the mathematician G. H. Hardy once remarked. “I had ridden in taxicab number 1729, and remarked that the number seemed to me rather a dull one, and that I hoped it was not an unfavourable omen.” 50

February 2023

“‘No,’ he replied, ‘it is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.’” “Every positive integer,” Hardy later remarked, “was one of his personal friends.” Despite receiving little formal education, Ramanujan was discovered by Hardy, to whom he sent some of his first papers. Hardy later gave Ramanujan a rating of 100 on his own scale of “pure talent”. Hardy’s own rating? 25!



Beating the Drum

I

n 1966, the famed Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, a passionate drummer, was asked by a Swedish encyclopedia publisher to supply a photograph of himself “beating the drum to give a human approach to a presentation of the difficult matter that theoretical physics represents.” Feynman’s reply? Dear Sir, The fact that I beat a drum has nothing to do with the fact that I do theoretical physics. Theoretical physics is a human endeavour, one of the higher developments of human beings, and the perpetual desire to prove that people who do it are human by showing that they do other things that a few other humans do (like playing bongo drums) is insulting to me. I am human enough to tell you to go to hell. Yours, RPF. ME&C